Sliding car door



Nov. 5, 1946. FQ DITCHFIELD SLIDING CAR DOOR Filed Aug. 29, 1940 Patented Nov. 5, 19046 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SLIDING CAR DOOR Frank Ditchield, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor toThe Youngstown Steel Door Com-pany,v Cleveland.. Ohio, a corporation of Ohior Application August 29, 1940, Serial No. 354,709

This invention relates to sliding railway car doors and is directed more particularly to the constructionof the rear portions of said doors by embodying non-metallic angular weatherstripsv wherein said doors are so yconstructed thatinexpensiveflat` strips of flexible non-metallic material may be utilized toprovide-the angularv weatherstrips without pre-forming'said strips.

Afurtherfobject is to provide -sliding doors embodying non-metallicV said cars to provide seals;saidweatherstrips be.-` ing characterized by their 4ability to Aadjust them.- selvesto the vibrations of 'the doors and'thereby eliminate slidingfriction between themand the sidewall members which they engage;

A- further objectisto'provide sliding doors for railway houseU carsr whichv shall weatherstrips in such-manner as^to secure interchangeability of said doors with 'similar doors notl provided with -weatherstrips:

Other objects of the inventioniwill.beccme'clearV asthedescription thereof.' proceeds;

In-thedrawing formingpart of' this specilication:

Fig: 1 is a partial elevationof the rear portion` of a sliding doorembodying the invention.

Fig.- 2 is a horizontal section taken on line 2-2fofv Fig. 1.

ex-ible weatherstrips adapted toengage membersof the sidewalls of incorporate 9 Claims.` (Cl. 20L-26) of the panel in thelform of a vertical corrugationM I3. The vertical corrugation I3 is spannedbyA a vertically extending plate Ill secured' as by riveting-to the metallic panel I I on opposite sidesv of the vertical corrugation as indicated at I5:

and I6. The rivets indicated at I6, which fasten the vertically extending plate I4 to the metallicy panel I I, are utilized as well to secure a substann tially Z-shaped sealing strip Il and a' reinforc- Fig. 3fis ahorizontal section taken on line 3-3' of Fig." 1;

Fig. lis a horizontal section taken on line ll-Il' of Fig. 1.

Fig. -5 is a horizontal section illustrating the invention utilizedat the meeting edges of double sliding doors.`

Theinvention is shown appliedV to a sliding metallic door I0,y utilized upon a freight car of the housetype.

with horizontal corrugationsf I2.; which at their reargedge'gmergejnto .an -outwardly osetportion .v

The metallic door illustrated emblodies -a metallic panel I I, preferably for-med' ing angle i3 to the marginal portion of thedoor lying to the rear of the vertical corrugation.

The sealing strip Il is disposed upon the plate I4, While one leg of the angle IB 'is disposed upon 1 the panel I I.

The upper horizontal margin of the door'is reinforced by an angle member I9 extending sub.-

stantially the width of the door and having the leg 20 arranged vertically and fastened toY the upperl margin. The other leg 2l of the angle member I9 is arranged horizontally and extends inwardly.

The lower horizontal margin of the door is reinforced by an angle member 22, the vertical leg 23 of which is disposed between and secured to the vertically extending platev Itof the me# tallic panel II. The horizontallyy disposed' leg 24 of said reinforcing angle extends outwardly.

The sealing strip I'I carried by the door isV adapted to cooperate with a spark strip 25 fas- I tened to the outwardly extending leg. 2B of' an. angle member 21, which in turn is secured to the door post 2 8. This cooperation satisfactorily prevents sparks and large particles of foreign matter from entering thel car.

To provide an effective weather seal which will eiiciently exclude rain, snow, dust, cinders and' the like without impairing the interchangeability of the door, the vertically extending plate I4,is.

provided with an inwardly opening recess 29. Within this recess one flange 30 of a rubber, or rubber and fabric weatherstrip 3|, is securedby means-of a flat metallic plate 32 and rivetsl33. As indicated by they dotted lines the flange 34 of the weatherstrip 3l extendsinwardly and is so positioned as tobe protected by the forwardly extendinglange 35 ofthe sealing strip I1; The disposition of the inwardly extending flange 34 of the weatherstrip 3l insures engagementv be. tweenl thisflange and the spark strip 25lwhen`V the door is'in closed position. The inherent re` siliency of the flange 34 and the engagement thereof with the spark strip provide an effective seal to exclude rain, snow, dust, cinders andthe like.

It is to be observed, moreover, that'this seal is secured-by the instant invention without"I the necessity of compressing the weatherstrip, and that mere exing or bending of the strip is suiicient.

It is desirable that the weatherstrip extend substantially the full height of the door. To this end the metallic panel II and the plate I4 are removed above the vertical corrugation beginning from substantially the lower edge of the vertical flange 20 of the angle member I9 to the upper edge of the panel and the plate. To close any' opening which might have been made, the lower edge of the vertical ange 2B is welded to the metallic panel I I, as indicated in Fig. l of the drawing. As a result of the removal of the indicated portions of the panel and plate, the flange 30 of the weatherstrip 3l can be extended upwardly to the underside of the horizontal leg 2I of the angle member I9. It will be observed that this flange of the weatherstrip lies against the inner face of* the vertical leg 20 to which it is secured by the :dat plate 32 and the rivets 33.

To secure extension of the weatherstrip 3| to substantially the lower edge of the door, the vertical leg 23 of the lower reinforcing angle 22, which lies below the vertical corrugation I3, is removed, as indicated at 38, while the outwardly extending horizontal leg 24 continues to the end of the angle member 22, as indicated at 39. To close any opening which might result from the removal of the indicated portion of the vertical leg 23, the angle member 22 is welded,l as indicated at 40 and 4I. By reason of this construction the continuity of the metallic panel I I is not disturbed, see FigHl, and the plate I4 and the weatherstrip 3I extend continuously substantially to the bottom edge of the door. Space for the recessed portion 29 of plate I4 is provided by the removal of the indicated portion of the vertical leg 23 of the lower reinforcing angle 22 as more clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing. The weatherstrip 3|, accordingly, is utilized to secure a seal for the entire height of the door.

While the weatherstrip 3l appears angular in section when applied to the door I9, the invention nevertheless contemplates the use of a flat strip. When the flat strip is secured within the inwardly opening recess 29, as described hereinabove, it is caused to bear against a shoulder, or abutment, 42 formed by the recess in the plate I4. The at strip is thereby turned inwardly to the position indicated by the dotted` lines in Fig. 2 of the drawing, thereby orming'the inwardly extending flange 34 of the weatherstrip,

Preference has been shown herein for a nonmetallic weatherstrip formed of rubber, or rubber and fabric. It is to be understood that the instant invention is not limited to these materials, but that a flexible weatherstrip of any other material suitable for the purpose of the invention may be utilized. It will be clear, moreover, that the invention is not limited to the particular structure of the door illustrated and that it may be utilized with other types of door as well.

The instant invention is applicable as well to Y the main and auxiliary sliding doors of a double door construction. The main door is designatedv by the reference numeral 43 in Fig.- 5 of the drawing and the auxiliary door by the reference numeral 44. Secured to the front vertical mar-v door stop 46 is provided with a readwardly extending ange 4l spaced from the post flange 48 through which the securing rivets extend.

The flange 48 of the auxiliary door post 45 is formed with an outwardly opening recess 49 beyond which the flange 48 is continued, as indicated at 50, to provide guide means for the main door 43. A flat weatherstrip 5I formed preferably of rubber, or rubber and fabric, is seated within the recess 49 and is fastened thereto by means of an angular plate 52 and rivets 53. As clearly indicated in FE. 5 of the drawing the flat weatherstrip is caused to bear against the outer wall of the recess 49 so as to provide an outwardly extending flange 54 on said weatherstrip. The flange 54 extends into the space between the auxiliary door post 45 and the rearwardly directed flange 4l of the main door stop. In this position the flange 54 is engaged and flexed by the main door 43 in its final closing movement and establishes an eiective seal therewith.

It will be apparent that numerous changes and modifications in the details of the invention will be clear to those skilled in the art. It is intended, therefore, that all such modifications and changes be oomprehended within this invention, which is to be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. A longitudinally sliding metallic door for railway house cars comprising a panel having a vertical outwardly extending corrugation adjacent to the rear edge thereof, a vertical plate eX- tending across said corrugation and secured on opposite sides thereof to said panel, a vertical inwardly opening recess in said plate, an angle shaped flexible weatherstrip having one ange seated in said recess and the other flange extending inwardly and means securing said weathstrip in said recess, said latter flange being adapted to engage a member extending from the wall of said car and to be flexed thereby during final longitudinal closing movement of said door, for the purpose set forth. Y 1 2. A longitudinally sliding metallic door for railway house cars embodying a member having a vertical inwardly opening recess inwardly of the rear edge of said door, a weatherstriphaving a ange seated in said recess and a ex'ible flange extendinginwardly beyond the inner plane of said door, and means securing said first mentioned flange of said weatherstrip in said recess, said exible ange being adapted to engage a member extending from the wall of said car and to be flexed thereby during final longitudinal closing movement of said door, for the purpose set forth. l l

3. A sliding metallic door for railway house cars embodying a metallic sealing strip secured to said door, a flexible flanged weatherstrip and means securing said weatherstrip to said door, a flange of said weatherstrip extending inwardly beyond the inside of said door, said metallic s ealjing strip having a flange spaced inwardly V0f the inside of said door and overlying the inwardly extending flange of said weatherstrip for ,the purpose set forth.

4. In a double door construction for railway'v house -cars a longitudinally sliding auxiliary door, a longitudinally sliding main door, a post secured to the front vertical margin of said auxiliary door, an angular stop member secured to the front vertical margin of said auxiliary door having a ange spaced laterally from said Vpost v' and having a flange extending into said space, said main door engaging and flexing said weatherstrip during final longitudinally closing movement, for the purpose set forth.

5. In a double door construction for railway house cars, a longitudinally sliding auxiliary door, a longitudinally sliding main door, a post secured to the front vertical margin of said auX- iliary door having a flange arranged substantially parallel to said door, an angular stop member secured to the front Vertical margin of said auxiliary door having a ange spaced from said post flange, said pest flange having a recess and a flexible weatherstrip secured in said recess, a

portion of said weatherstrip extending into said space, said main door engaging and flexing said weatherstrip during final longitudinally closing movement, for the purpose set forth.

6. A longitudinally sliding metallic door for railway house cars comprising a panel having a vertical outwardly extending corrugation adjacent to the rear edge thereof, a vertical plate extending across said corrugation and secured on opposite sides thereof to said panel, a reinforcing angle having a vertical leg secured to the inside of the lower margin of said panel, a Vertical inwardly opening recess in said plate, an angle shaped flexible weatherstrip having one flange seated in said recess and the other ange extending inwardly, and means securing said weatherstrip in said recess, said vertical leg of said reinforcing angle adjacent to the rear edge of said door being removed to provide space for said recessed portion of said plate, said portion of said plate and said weatherstrips extending substantially to the lower edge of said door.

7. A longitudinally sliding metallic door for railway house cars comprising a panel having a vertical outwardly extending corrugation adjacent to the rear edge thereof, said corrugation terminating short of the upper edge of said panel, a vertical plate extending across said corrugation and secured on opposite sides thereof to said panel, a reinforcing angle having a vertical leg secured to the outside of the upper margin of said panel, a vertical inwardly opening recess in said plate, an angle shaped flexible weatherstrip having one flange seated in said recess and the other flange extending inwardly and means securing said weatherstrip in said recess, said panel and said recessed portion ofv said plate above said corrugation being removed to provide space for said weatherstrip, said weatherstrip extending substantially to the upper edge of said door.

vv8. A longitudinally sliding metallic door for railway house cars comprising a panel having a vertical outwardly extending corrugation adjacent to the rear edge thereof, said corrugation terminating short of the upper edge of v said panel, a vertical plate extending across said corrugation and secured on opposite sides thereof to said panel, a reinforcing angle having a Vertical leg secured to the outside of the upper margin of said panel, a vertical inwardly opening recess in said plate, an angle shaped flexible weatherstrip having one flange seated in said recess and the other flange extending inwardly and means securing said weatherstrip in said recess, said panel and said recessed portion of said plate above said corrugation being removed to provide space forsaid weatherstrip, said weatherstrip extending substantially to the upper edge of said door, and means securing said first mentioned flange of said weatherstrip to said vertical leg of said reinforcing angle.

9. A longitudinally sliding metallic door for railway house cars having a vertical recess therein, a flexible weatherstrip seated in said recess, said weatherstrip having a flange, means securing said flange in said recess, said weatherstrip also having a flange extending freely beyond said recess, said latter flange being adapted to be engaged and freely bent by a member on said car associated with said door to form a seal between said car member and said latter flange, for the purpose set forth.

FRANK DITCI-IFIELD. 

